


Betrothed

by Tete_a_Tay



Category: Original Work
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Bad mom, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Giant Spiders, Gift Giving, Humanoid Spider, Love, Meet-Cute, Monsters, POV First Person, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Sweet, betrothal, monsterkinkmeme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 15:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18876190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tete_a_Tay/pseuds/Tete_a_Tay
Summary: Inspired by a prompt from MonsterKinkMeme on Tumblr. Fluffy, short and sweet.Acra discovers she has been entered into an arranged marriage and accepted the proposal. Her mother stands to gain money from the engagement and has given her daughter no choice. Begrudgingly, Acra accepts for the good of her sisters. When her suitor turns up she's surprised to find that he's a lot less human than she was expecting.





	Betrothed

“I don’t understand.”

“Acra, darling, I don’t know what you expected.” Mother’s voice is scolding, her tone disappointed. “You are the second born, you have three younger sisters. Your Father, bless his soul, died six years ago. How am I meant to support this family? What little we had is running out.” She tuts at me as she begins to carry clothes out to the line. 

“I expected I’d get a job not...not be sold like some form of-of cattle!” I stomp after her, outraged. 

She scoffs. “You’re so dramatic, darling. I’m not selling you. I promised your hand in marriage to a suitor.” She places clothes pins in her mouth and I already know this conversation is over. 

“Yes, in exchange for money, Mother! Like promising a farmer a cow and then getting money for good breeding stock.” 

She gasps at the insinuation, dropping the pins. “You watch your mouth. Your sister ran off, I could hardly promise her hand. The little ones are too young. Aelia is barely six. Would you rather I sent her in your place?” She turns and eyes me, the haughty expression on her face drives me insane. She always uses my sisters against me.

I’ve been essentially a second parent to them as she has floundered and moped her way through our father’s money. She could have worked. She could have done any number of things but instead she’d sold me. She’d always been an immature and selfish mother but this was a new low. 

I knew I’d get no further in this conversation. She’d start crying soon and accusing me of making her out to be the bad guy. Didn’t I know how hard she tried? How much she worked her fingers to the bone to care for us all? Did I want her to die too, like father had? He’d always been the favorite. Never her. It was disgusting. I didn’t want to hear it. 

“Who did you sell me to, mother?” I said, my voice resigned. She brightened and turned back to the clothes. 

“A nice young man, I’m sure.” She tittered, her voice almost excited. 

“You’re sure?! You don’t know?” This brought her pause but she continued her chore, not answering. “Mother how do you promise me to someone you don’t even know the first thing about?”

“I’ll have you know, young lady, there is a service who does all the dirty work for you. You simply inform them of your child’s age and what you want in return. Whatever stipulations you have, and they search for others that match the offers.” Her tone was snippy, she’d start with the waterworks if I pressed her over this. Honestly I was a little relieved my mother hadn’t chosen the man, I shouldn’t have expected her to do the work, anyway. 

“And what were my stipulations? The return?”

“Acra! That is enough! Stop pestering me with that ugly tone. I did what I had to for our family. I would think you could understand that. You should be more like your father.”

I removed myself before I could explode. Father worked himself to death at mothers bidding. Rather than a fair load, he had pushed himself longer and harder. She didn’t want me to know the return because it was likely money. I had a feeling my stipulations had been rather slim as well. 

But I was promised. I was betrothed. I could only hope he wouldn’t be a complete monster. 

A letter arrived not long after my birthday, from what I assumed to be my soon to be husband. The writing was elegant, flowing. Whoever it was had a better education than I did. He said he would come to pick me up in person and that we would travel by balloon back to his home. My mouth gaped. By balloon? Mother had suspiciously little to say on the matter. 

When the day arrived my mother sent my sisters to visit with a friend in the village. I found it strange, but didn’t mind the quiet or the ability to have a clean home. I dressed in my best dress, which wasn’t saying much. I tied my hair back with the newest blue ribbon I had. Just before he arrived mother fussed over me and then excused herself. She said we should meet alone. Now I didn’t know what to think. Mother was avoiding my meeting with my fiancé. But I couldn’t imagine why. Well actually I could, and I was scared. She knew something. Something I wouldn’t like. 

There was a knock at the door and I felt my body go cold. I had to answer. My feet moved stiffly across the floor. 

I pulled the door open and blinked at the...man that stood before me. My eyes didn’t know where to settle, because I had six of his to choose from. Two that looked rather humanoid in placement and size, but yellow. Beside each human eye were two slightly smaller round black eyes. Three eyes on each side of his head. He had dark hair that was tied back similar to mine and seemed rather long. He had fangs that he bared at me in a nervous smile. His skin was a dark gray, though not sickly, and it darkened gradually from his forearms down to his nearly pitch black hands, of which there were four of each. Four arms on a very human top torso, connected to a very not human body. Eight legs, a large thorax. My mother had betrothed me to a Dryder. 

My mouth dropped open. I stared at him with open surprise. In his top uppermost arms he held a bouquet of flowers, dark blues and purple things, tied together with a strong band of silk. His lower set of arms held...a cocoon? A blanket? Also of silk. Dryder silk. Gifts for me, I assume. He seemed to falter completely at my face and his own mouth dropped open in surprise. 

“I...I’m here for Acra?” He said, his voice was deep and soft but definitely nervous. 

I realized what a fool I must look and snapped my mouth shut. How rude of me. “I...I am so sorry. To stare. I...I wasn’t expecting...that is, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m Acra. You must be-“

“Vrachnis. Did...did you not receive a letter informing you about our match? And my information? I assume you must have because it was accepted.” 

Mother. “Actually, my mother handled it. Poorly it seems. I didn’t know anything other than I was betrothed. And what your personal letter said. I didn’t mean to seem so...startled. I’ve never met a Dryder in person, I’m afraid.”

His hands fidgeted under the blanket. “Would you prefer we call off the agreement? I’m sure it would take some doing but I know it can be done.”

For a moment, the idea seemed so good. But one glance at Vrachnis saddened face brought me back. “Oh, no, it’s not like that.”

“I’ve had it happened before, you wouldn’t be the first. It’s alright if you’d like to.” There was sincerity in his words. Honesty that I’d never had presented to me by my mother. “Unsuspecting I imagine I am a lot to take in.” He forced a chuckle and he was trying hard to act as if he was alright. But there was a deep sadness to his eyes and his smile. 

“It was surprising, I admit. But...I would like to know you.” He was handsome. There was no denying it. When he smiled at the reply I found myself grinning back. 

“These are for you, by the way. I made them myself. Well, no, I picked the flowers. I made the blanket. It is customary with my people to present your mate with something you have made of your silk as a gift after asking them to join with you. I wove it extra tight. I heard that humans get colder than my kind.” He shifted the flowers into one hand and patted the blanket. When his eyes shifted back up to mine I could see that same anxiety there. 

I reached for it and the softness of it surprised me. It was heavy like a woven quilt. I'd never touched the silk of the Dryder before, it was always far too expensive for us to afford. I adored it instantly. 

“It’s wonderful, Vrachnis. Truly.” The blanket was large, probably made for someone of his size rather than mine. He noticed me struggling and carefully took it back, grinning wide. I reached for his one of his hands and took it in my own. He seemed surprised but grasped my hand back gently. His grey cheeks turned a little purple and I realized he was blushing. 

Suddenly I couldn’t imagine ever saying no to our agreement. I couldn’t imagine living another moment here, discarded in both feeling and opinion. “Will I be able to see my family again?”

He chuckled a little, the noise a mix of a human laugh and a soft chittering. “Of course! You will be my wife, my mate, not a prisoner.” His hand tightened on mine and he bent low to stare into my eyes. “Whatever you want I will do my best to provide for you.” His lips brushed the back of my hand and I felt the touch of his fangs underneath. Now it was my turn to blush. He did not hide the excitement from his voice when he spoke next. “Does that mean...you would have me?”

“I would.” I smiled up at him and he blushed deeply again. “But I’m still confused how or why we are traveling by balloon.”

“Oh! That’s another custom of my people. Normally when mates have decided to tie themselves they will construct a silk balloon together. It carries them on the wind to a new place to settle. It’s more of a tradition now, most don’t really leave. In our case, I’ll construct it myself and we’ll be headed back to my land.” 

The idea was so fanciful, so far removed from reality, that I couldn’t help but laugh and shake my head. “That sounds insane, but I trust you. How will we ride in it though?”

Here he blushed again and cast her a shy look. “Normally, mates cling together with one side and share control of the balloon using the legs of the other side. It demonstrates their teamwork, keeping each other safe while embracing. In this case...I will simply be holding you.”

The idea of being held so close to his naked chest made me blush nearly as much as the idea of flying unsecured made me dizzy. He seemed to sense this though. 

“I will never, never, let any harm come to you Acra. You can trust me. In all things but especially in this.” 

How could I ever say no?


End file.
